This invention relates to a method for etching an identification grid pattern onto a microscope slide or cover slip.
The intense current interest in cellular manipulation, gene splicing techniques and cellular microinjection has accentuated the need to keep track of the treated cells. Typically, such cells are manipulated with the aid of a microscope, and portions of slide or cover slip holding the cells are marked out for microscopic location of the cells.
There are several recently-developed methods for performing this task. One uses an objective lens scriber to mark cover slips, and the cells within the scribed circle can be manipulated. [Diacumakos, "Methods in Cell Biology", D. M. Prescott, ed., Vol. 7, p. 287, Academic Press, New York, 1973.] In another, radio-labeled or fluorescent markers are added to the sample. [Stacey, Methods in Enzymology, in press (1981).] In a third, wax-coated slides are scored and numbered with a steel needle, then etched with a paste made from calcium fluoride and hydrofluoric acid. [Graessmann A., Graessman, M. & Mueller C., Methods enzymology 65 816 (1980)]
These methods, however, suffer from irregularities in marking, do not permit the marking of very small areas, and are difficult and time-consuming to perform. Therefore, it is an object of the invention to develop a method for marking out small repetitive areas on microscope slides and cover slips. A further object is to be able to perform the method easily and quickly.